Bar 9

by Alyssa Fletcher (subscribe)

Writer, musician, lover of life and all things related to eating and drinking.

Published August 6th 2012

This hip cafe certainly raises the bar on good coffee

Forget cloud nine. If you're looking for breakfast and coffee of a superb quality, try out Bar 9 on Glen Osmond rd, Parkside.

As a self-professed specialty coffee boutique, Bar 9 is one of the rare places that really does hit the nail on the head when it comes to honest, great coffee. And with a breakfast and brunch menu to match, Bar 9 makes for an all-round great trip out on a Sunday morning.

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Straight off the bat, it's probably important to note that if you're heading in a weekend day, be prepared to wait for a table. We waited for around thirty minutes to get a seat, but fortunately the waiting area is bar seating along the front window, where it's gorgeously sunny and warm even on a cold day. You can sip a coffee and read a magazine while you wait, or spend your time pondering over the menu. Bar 9 doesn't take bookings so it really is first in, best dressed.

Truffle-infused mushroom ragu with poached eggs and truffled honey

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Although you sometimes (not always) have to wait, most likely it will be worth it to sample some of Adelaide's most delicious food and coffee. The menu is executed with variations on a theme of classic breakfast food. Dishes are accessible but with flairs of distinction, like house-cured ocean trout instead of your typical smoked salmon, or Frangelico-macerated strawberries served over an English muffin with vanilla-bean mascarpone (who says you can't have a nip of alcohol in your breakfast?)

The truffle-infused mushroom ragu is painfully delicious; so creamy and bold to complement perfectly poached eggs. If you're lucky to be there when they're doing the haloumi, field mushroom and poached eggs special, you're in for a treat. The food is excellent and presented beautifully. Bar 9's chefs are of an outstanding quality, and this shines through the glorious dishes that are set in front of you.

Charred asparagus spears on toast with poached eggs, slivered almonds and Grana Padano

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But Bar 9 is more than just a great cafe with delicious food; it is the product of an idea, a way of living with a vision to source food locally and seasonally. A simple glance over the menu hints at this notion of sourcing food locally, and executing a menu that changes with the season means that we can all eat more healthily. Bacon from the Adelaide Plains, certified RSPCA eggs from McLaren Vale, local SA honey, unhomogensied milk from Lobethal's Tweedvale Dairy - it's all there. Well, it's all right here, in our own backyard.

I guess it's just nice to know where your food came from, and it's really nice to see a cafe openly celebrating the use of local wholefoods.

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Of course the coffee is locally processed, too, and with beans roasted to order, it's no secret that these guys are nuts about coffee and getting it absolutely perfect. They also blend and age their beans on-site. If you're lucky enough to be placed in a seat near the counter you might catch a glimpse of some unusual techniques.. siphon brewing, or Turkish coffee, or ice drip (yes it is what it sounds like!)

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Anyway, they're obsessed with coffee. And they love experimenting. And they have a whole page devoted to telling you all about it, so if you're a real coffee nerd, you can check it out here. If you're not bothered at all, you can just go back to enjoying your latte in peace. Sorry for the bean geek intrusion.

If you're a keen breakfast-goer, do yourself a favour and hit up Bar 9 on Glen Osmond rd. It's got a happening vibe, friendly staff and fantastic food. Two thumbs up!

And another thing ...
Many describe it as Melbourne-esque, and yes, it certainly does make you feel like you're in a funkier, hipper part of town. But I reckon that right now, Adelaide is absolutely winning when it comes to cool cafes - so I'm going to go ahead and say that Bar 9 is totally fantastic in its own right. No Melbourne comparisons necessary.